Reviews

One of the best contract marriage dramas

I remember the days when I first discovered K-dramas, and how hooked I would get on them. I'd be buried under blankets on a Saturday morning, sipping my coffee and definitely not getting to any of my daily responsibilities til about 4 pm. But over time, as I started encountering repeated tropes and plotlines or chemistry that fell flat, I've settled into a rhythm of always having a drama going that I watch every few days or so but typically take a while to finish, but every so often one just takes me back to the golden era of 2016 dramas and I eat it up in less than a week.
Perfect Crown was one of those. Honestly, what carried it for me was their relationship. I was swooning at every scene, and the slowburn contract marriage "oh we don't actually like each other... okay maybe I do a little bit... okay I want this to be real now" pacing was just soooo goooood. Their chemistry was also fantastic.
My only criticism is the plot surrounding them of the politics and world-building of the constitutional monarchy had some holes and left me with questions. There's not a lot of sideplot development to bolster the drama as this is 12 episodes instead of 16, so they really focus on the main plot of the relationship. Contrast that to a drama like Crash Landing On You where you don't just see their development, you also see stories like the wiretap guy and his relationship to the ML and all the musical thread of the piano through the whole show. It had 16 episodes to bring all that together. This drama didn't have that depth in the plot, but the relationship did, and oh man was it good.
And, I am not a fan of the "have to hurt you to protect you" trope. But the other tropes are done well.
If you're looking for a gripping thriller political drama, this is probably not for you. But if you want a romcom that absolutely nails the tropes and chemistry between the two leads, this is the one. I watched it in about four days and if I can drag my fellow drama friends into it, I would watch it again tomorrow.

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feels like stumbled at the finish line

Perfect Crown was already on my waiting list the moment the main cast got announced. IU + Byeon Woo Seok in a modern monarchy drama with contract marriage trope??? Oh I was SAT. SEATED. BUCKLED IN! Honestly, the biggest reason why I got interested was the setting itself. I’m such a sucker for modern monarchy dramas. There’s just something so addictive about seeing royal traditions, palace politics, luxury scandals, tailored coats, and generational trauma happening in modern society. Like yes please give me emotionally constipated royal people suffering beautifully inside expensive palaces. And this drama REALLY delivered on the vibes. Everyone looked insanely expensive. Even their emotional damage felt sponsored by luxury brands. Another thing that sold me was the contract marriage + high school crush trope. Was it cliché? Absolutely. Did I still eat it up every week? Also absolutely. Perfect Crown honestly does not reinvent the wheel. We got palace intrigue, tragic deaths, power struggles, one-sided love, hidden family drama, succession issues, emotionally unavailable parents, and enough trauma to destroy an entire royal bloodline. This drama looked at every makjang trope possible and said: “yeah put everything in there.” And somehow… it worked .

What truly carried this drama for me were the atmosphere, chemistry, performances, and emotional tension.
IU as Seong Hui Ju completely understood the assignment. She brought such fun romantic-comedy energy while still making Hui Ju feel emotionally layered underneath all the glamour and ambition. Hui Ju spent her entire life trying to prove herself because she was an illegitimate daughter. She built everything herself — money, business, reputation, influence — yet legitimacy was still the one thing she could never fully have. Honestly, girl was working like she had three LinkedIn accounts and generational trauma to overcome.
Meanwhile Byeon Woo Seok as Lee Ian spent the entire drama looking devastatingly handsome while silently carrying the emotional burden of an entire collapsing monarchy. I genuinely loved how restrained his acting was. Ian grew up being treated like a threat by his own father simply because his existence endangered the crown prince’s legitimacy. His royal title always felt hollow rather than powerful, like he was trapped inside a palace that never truly wanted him there. And somehow Byeon Woo Seok made all that sadness look gorgeous. That man could stare at a wall silently for 10 minutes and I would still call it cinema.

One thing I genuinely appreciated was the communication between Hui Ju and Ian. For a drama THIS dramatic, their relationship was surprisingly healthy. Misunderstandings didn’t drag for 15 episodes. They actually talked, solved problems quickly, and returned to being disgustingly in love again. Sometimes they weren’t even doing anything romantic — they were literally just standing next to each other breathing dramatically and I was already sold.

Hui Ju’s family dynamics were also really interesting. Her stepbrother initially felt like the typical legitimate heir rival, but later episodes showed he genuinely cared for her in his own way. Meanwhile Hui Ju’s father genuinely irritated me every time he appeared because that man raised his children inside an environment where love always felt conditional and political. No wonder everyone in this drama is emotionally unstable.

Now for Min Jeong U, the Prime Minister… On paper, he was technically the “better choice.” Status, influence, power, stability — he had everything. But Hui Ju still chose Ian because Ian understood her emotional loneliness in ways Jeong U never fully could. BUT STILL . Sir, you loved this woman since HIGH SCHOOL and still never confessed properly despite having endless opportunities. At some point that stopped becoming romance and started becoming a long-term government project.

And the Queen Mother… wow. Gong Seung Yeon absolutely embodied that role. She genuinely felt like someone psychologically trapped by palace life and her father’s obsession with making her queen at all costs. Her dynamic with Ian was also weirdly fascinating because I honestly think she became emotionally attached to him over time. Meanwhile Ian was just accidentally causing emotional collapse everywhere he went by standing there smiling softly while looking handsome!

Now here’s my biggest frustration with the drama; THE PLOT HOLES. I genuinely thought the drama was building toward some huge reveal about the late king possibly being illegitimate and Ian actually being the rightful heir all along. It would’ve explained SO much about the succession tension and the late king desperately wanting Ian to inherit the throne. BUT NO. The drama literally never explored that theory properly. Honestly, this drama being only 12 episodes should be considered a crime because there were way too many political conflicts and family storylines happening at once. This absolutely should’ve been 16 episodes. The pacing became insanely fast toward the end, and several plotlines felt unfinished.

Then suddenly…ABOLISHMENT. Like huh??? Is abolishing monarchy THAT easy??? That is literally an entire country system. The amount of political, constitutional, economic, and social restructuring needed for that would be INSANE. As far as I know, that’s literally one of the reasons why many European countries still maintain constitutional monarchy instead of abolishing it altogether. The transition itself would be unbelievably massive.
I KNOW this drama is fictional and fantasy-based, but my brain genuinely could not accept this level of elementary political writing . And episode 12 honestly became so messy because of it. You’re telling me the former king — someone established from the beginning as deeply beloved by the public — suddenly walks around outside after abolishment and NOBODY pays attention to him??? As if he’s just some random unemployed guy buying groceries??? That is literally unthinkable. Especially after the drama repeatedly showed how famous and beloved Ian was nationwide. Realistically, people would still recognize him instantly even without the title. And then the fact that Ian basically became jobless afterward… Oh that hurt me BADLY. From graceful grand prince carrying the emotional weight of an entire monarchy to pitiful house husband waiting for his busy CEO wife at home. Meanwhile Hui Ju goes back to being an ultra-busy Beauty Castle CEO while Ian just kinda… exists there looking pretty and unemployed. Like excuse me writer-nim what are we doing here??? I understand the intention was probably to symbolize freedom and normal life outside the monarchy, but the execution accidentally made Ian’s ending feel strangely humiliating compared to the grandeur and emotional buildup of his entire character journey. BUT STILL I also loved that Ian finally got to truly live as himself. Still, despite ALL my complaints, I cannot lie…I still enjoyed this drama a lot. I liked how most relationships healed by the end too… except for Prime Minister Jeong U because the drama literally left that man floating like an unfinished government document. Did he get jailed? Exposed? Exiled? We genuinely do not know. And lastly, the little king . My tiny cutie pie your majesty. I’m SO glad the drama never created conflict between him and Ian. Ian genuinely loved and protected him until the end, and honestly their relationship became one of the softest parts of the drama for me.

Overall, Perfect Crown is messy, rushed, dramatic, cliché, emotionally chaotic, and filled with enough palace trauma to emotionally bankrupt an entire kingdom. But despite all its flaws, the beautiful cinematography, modern monarchy setting, strong performances, romantic tension, insane family dynamics, and luxurious palace vibes still made this drama ridiculously entertaining every single week. Was the writing perfect? Absolutely not. Did I still get emotionally attached to these rich traumatized palace people anyway? Unfortunately… yes . 8/10.

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Perfect Couple in Disguise

This series screams expensive, elegance and majestic settings of a FICTIONAL modern Korea as a constitutional monarchy; it has lots of spellbinding visuals; a perfectly ensemble casts; and volatile dynamic from start to finish. It’s a love story which pairs two souls shaped by the same suffering yet showcase different approach on how to survive.

Grand Prince I-An, a gentle soul, act as a pseudo façade of the crown’s honor; when in reality, hides the dark side of power struggling, greed and manipulations. Growing up, he was forced to restraint himself and being passive. Always positioned himself at the back, a shadow of his older brother. As he met Hui-ju at school, his rebel side starts to brew. He changed the school rules to give equal rights among the students ignoring nobility privileges. This little act in his earlier days in school was brilliantly overlooked by most of us, as it evolved steadily into a revolution, a deep desire to abolish the monarchy; which in his view is the root of all evil.

Hui-ju on the other hand is a feisty soul, like a wild horse; who always have to fight for her way up. She is fearless and not hesitant to play dirty in achieving her goals. Grown to be a cut-throat business-woman, who excels in making deals and negotiations. A master in public relations; trend-setting to bend and read the market and public sentiment. With her quick wit and confidence, she is able to adapt to her surrounding and often turns them into something which benefits her the most in the end. As she met I-An, she is tamed by his gentleness and moral values which she overlook as annoying and lesser important. It awakens her deep desire to be acknowledged for her worth; and be taken care of for her wellbeing without her even asking. I-An often surprises her and catches her off guard with his elusive approach, showcasing his sincere care and love.

The two compliment each other like a glove, a perfect union in marriage. In my native language they make ‘Raja Sehari’ meaningful as the perfect crown.

Plot
It has a good premise. An arranged fake marriage between a royal and a commoner; which then turns to be a real deal. How two souls compliment each other naturally. The dynamic is like a rollercoaster; juggling in between romance, comedy and few assassination attempts; at times somehow I was a little skeptical on how the characters manages to pull through in overcoming such bizarre and life-threatening experience without any consequences. "Yesterday, I was poisoned and today I show up for work." Logic and reasonable flow is thrown out the window.

So yes, the biggest flaw in this series is how short the show is. It forbids me to digest and fully immerse into their journey. The dynamic was incoherent at times as we expect to deal with its heavy aftermath, stems from its darker twists. Those turn of events often being treated as weightless and casualty-free. The span of the tragic events occured are a bit underwhelming and hard to swallow as we experience it in a fast pace environment; As if the characters are full-proof diamond; trauma free from any cuts and bruises.

Still, the biggest strength of this series is how fluffy and charming the romance is. The hidden desire, restraint in disguise; the unhinged boldness and confidence entertwine with comedic relief; the absurdity of its twists and logic which propel us into shipping the main couple to sail away. Both leads mirrors in few parallel scenes. The details in here is surprisingly fulfilling and won our hearts. I love how it was naturally written. Those parallel moments is anticipated and perfectly delivered.

Casts
BWS did it again. His innocence in Lovely Runner days has transcended into a higher level, sophisticated and elegance with much softer expressions to charm us. He was being portrayed as a calm persona, aloof and stoic, befitting as the restraint Grand Prince I-An. His charm evolves; as the beloved prince into the most desirable husband.

IU is brilliant in portraying Hui-ju. She manages to make an unlikeable character into a likeable heroin. We were presented with her unusual bizarre tantrum and quirky antics, matched as this cut-throat business-woman who has deep scar in her heart. As we learn more about them, we could relate and tolerate on why she behave in such a way. She managed to grip my attention and deepens my curiosity, hence had me rooting for her. I want her to succeed regardless whatever she does.

Queen Mother’s portrayal is superb. It shines as the crown’s nobility. Her portrayal screams elegance and honor yet her dark intention and past sins, cloud us into thinking that she is a villain with no redemption.

Prime Minister's (PM) portrayal is commendable. Had it have more episodes, I could be convinced that he could pull such an evil act. What left me with his oddity is him being someone who is utterly stupid and delusional.

Ms Do was amazing. Her portrayal felt natural and she shows her charm and persona and turn me into a fan. Same as Aide-Choi, both giving me a comedic relief to ease the tension that baffles me at times.

Hui-ju's family was masked as her biggest obstacle but progressively it shines into her biggest support all along. Kudos to her big brother and sister in-law, the bickering siblings act is entertaining to watch. Her father’s love which was often misunderstood, shows possible potential to be resolved overtime.

Palace's Staffs in overall, are commendable as to convince me to this FICTIONAL modern day monarchy. It may different from actual thing but it still carries the weight of its grand majestic and magminity; and how the nations pride and culture were being preserved throughout the history. I'm not against in its discrepancy from true events in reality. I just appreciate the nuances it gives, regardless.

Music
It has a good amount of songs and instrumental background to immerse and pulls us into the story. It helps a lot for us to experience the moment, whether we are being fluffy over the romance or thrill of its suspense and gripping turns of event.

Fav song is Everglow by Woodz.

Fav scene : I-An and Hui-ju first meeting (both times)
Fav Character : Ms Do. I love her cuteness.
Fav Quote : "OH.. SO SHINY!!" - Aide Choi

Least Fav scene : PM shouting at I-An, being angry when Hui-ju is being poisoned.
Least Fav Char : PM
Least Fav Quote : "It's your fault. You turn me into this," - PM

Re-watchable : Yes, indefinitely.

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was invested at first but then...lost interest?

Modern royal monarchy plots was something that has not been done for sooo many years. I think the last drama I saw was King 2 hearts and Princess Hours years ago, so I was really excited for this show! Overall the show is still good but only issue is that it doesnt leave any emotional connection.

So with the initial setup of SHJ's character I thought that wow once she moves in shes gonna bring havoc to the palace. I was looking forward to this portion cause its usually the comedic relief part. But they took so long going in circles and circles regarding their marriage thing that in the end they only got married towards the end of the drama...

The scene where she was playing with the king, making a change to the palace atmosphere is what I hoped to see more so we could connect with the characters....

Personally wasnt a fan of some of the styling items for BWS cause it didnt really give him the Prince aura. They went with the concept of yes he is in a very high position but actually he has no authority vibes. But then towards the end suddenly everyone is listening to him...

I enjoyed the start of the drama, IU's acting felt very confident and I liked how she was extremely proud of her achievements and you could tell she is really very good at what she does.

Visuals and OSTs were good as well~ yeah so in the end it was just lack of attachment (maybe due to shorter number of eps?)

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Underestimated, Underrated MASTERPIECE

Ep 1 - SOLID this episode 1 of LOVE BEYOND DREAMS! A love story wrapped in a crime thriller. Very promising!!

Thought LOVE BEYOND DREAMS would "just" be a good rehash of DENIED LOVExDANGEROUS QUEENxREVERSE FOR YOU.... It's turning out to be something beyond the enemies-to-lovers trope into a good crime thriller!

But I feel bad for LBD Ep 2 - It ran into major superstar-level competition like HOMETOWN ROMANCE, BROKEN OF LOVE, 4ELEMENTS: AIR.... I'm confident though that given how good LBD is (and how beautiful its two stars are), it'll find its footing soon enough🥰😍😘👏💯❤️🇹🇭

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a thesis statement on everything wrong with 12 episode dramas

I was so excited about this drama and very much looking forward to it. So maybe because my expectations were so high, I was particularly disappointed in the things that kept this drama from being anything more than like a B rating for me. i enjoyed the costuming (though whoever put IU in those awful press ons...) the cinematography, The acting the ost, but I just think the writing fell flat. And I think a large part of it is partially due to the shorter length that k dramas have started to go towards on netflix and other international streamers. this just felt so shallowly written that I had a hard time really caring about anything that was going on but I have a hard time articulating how the writing could do better for everyone without a longer show length and more time to dig into the substantive reasons and explain people's motivations better. it's really a shame to see all of the pieces be there but the writing really disappoint the whole project.

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Boring first act but story became interesting once common tropes given different twists

I recently discovered Zhang Si Fan and wanted to explore his work. He has acted in a drama with same plot as this drama so I decided to watch this version first. It was alright.

What I liked:
1. Acting - I liked Wang Xin Yue's performance. This is the first time I watched Zhuo Hang and his performance was alright.
2. FL characterisation - Her FL was cool, smart & poise. However it was silly that she had way too many skills e.g healer, violin playing, hacker.
3. Romance - I liked it when they started becoming familiar with each other. The teasing and eventually kisses. Good ones.
4. Styling - I loved FL's white dress that she wore to the final banquet.
5. Supporting characters - I liked ML's grandfather & parents. I also liked ML's assistant. I also liked that guy who wanted to become FL's friend at university. He seemed like a nice guy.
6. ML characterisation - I liked that he offered support to FL knowing her family dynamics but never forced her to live with him / his family. He was also inquisitive.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Song family was manipulative & shameless. I couldn't believe that they abused FL and was even willing to con another family for money.
2. Acting - The chemistry was passable. I found Wang Xin Yue quite stiff during kissing & couple scenes.
3. First act - Offered nothing new especially during the Song family arguements.
4. University - I found scenes involving FL & antagonist going to university confusing because. I kept thinking if FL was a minor because of the school uniform that she wore.

Favourite scene
When ML & FL were hot for each other

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10/10 one of my new favorites

Entertained the ENTIRE time. This one is contending with the big dawgs for me. I haven’t giggled and blushed this much since Twinkling Watermelon. Like they’re putting crack in the script I swear. It managed to toe the line so well between the light and dark scenes. ML carried a lot of this show in my opinion. He made 90% of scenes funnier with his reactions but he ate down the spicier scenes. I was impressed the actor was able to convey such a wide range of emotions in a character within seconds. Cudos to the writers as well because they really did the damn thing with this script.

Dramas that don’t peak my interest completely leave a sort of hollow feeling. As if my Kdrama itch wasn’t scratched per se? This drama was like a 4 course meal, seriously, it was that good for me! I loved the dynamic of the leads. The way their personalities were written to play off of each other *chefs kiss* It was such a pure romance, the pacing was done wonderfully, nothing too fast but you’re not left wanting either.

In conclusion, the male lead is super fine and his shirtless scenes were 100 bonus points

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Great Beginning and Disaster Ending

This is the first Kdrama that I watch after so many years leaving this fandom. The constitutional monarchy fantasy lured me in. One my favorite Kdrama years ago was The King 2 Hearts. That also in the set up of Constitutional Monarchy. The early episodes were great. A prince and a businesswoman. In my mind, finally we are free from romance with social class gap trope. Because even though one is royalty and one is commoner, it is clear that Hui Ju is not your average commoner. She comes from the wealthiest business clan in the country, a CEO, and incredibly smart and beautiful. Certainly that amount to something. I am waiting for a double lead strong story.

At the beginning, that was exactly what we get: a double strong lead. They complete each other quite well. And watching Hui Ju slowly falls in love with I-An is a treat. Their little romance here and there made me want more and more. I kept re-watching the episodes during the early airing, while waiting for next week for my next treat. Everything went downhill after Hui Ju poisoning case. At that time, in my mind, I felt: "Ah, just another classic trope". And behold, Hui Ju soon became just another damsel in distress (even though not for long). Gone was the confident CEO, the one with endless desire to win.

I waited with excitement for I-An to take the throne with Hui Ju as Queen. Then, what??? Abolishment? Is abolishment is that easy to be done? It is a country system! The amount of work to change this will be so enormous. As far as I know, that is one of the reason why many European Countries stay with their constitutional monarchy instead of abolishing monarchy alltogether. I know this is fantasy, but my brain just cannot accept this kind of elementary writing.

Episode 12 is so atrocious. Here you have the previous King, and we have no one paid him attention while he is in public. As if he is just your average guy. This is unthinkable. Since we are given the information in the early story, that I-An is so beloved in the country. So, after he lost his title, everyone ignore him right away? Wow! And then the very fact that I-An has become jobless man after abolishment is so humiliating for this character. And then Hui Ju becomes this busy CEO that don't have time to accompany his pitiful husband at home. From a graceful Grand Prince to pitiful house-husband. Is the writer want to demean man or what?

The positive of this drama is the visual. The clothing and jewelry look beautiful and expensive. Music also quite good.

Acting wise, honestly, it is not spectacular. I agree with everyone that second FL (Queen Mother) has the best acting. ML is just so so actually. Stoic does not mean no expression at all. IU is okay, I think she improves quite a bit since The Scarlet Heart Ryo (last time I watched her drama).

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A fairytale romance

I loved everything about this drama!!! It’s the most realistic fairytale story of the 21st century we can ever get. It’s realistic but still an impossible dream to attain and we are vicariously living our fantasy through IU ‘s character Huiju!
I seriously don’t know where to start! Maybe let’s start with the cast and characters:

Ofc having IU and BWS in the same drama playing a chaebol heiress and a PRINCE would be mindboggling but I underestimated the effect it actually had on me in the end 😂😂😂
I loved Huiju from the beginning! Her aggressive breakdowns and the way she screamed at everyone or at herself when things were pissing her off made me laugh so hard!!! And the more shocking it is to see her progress in the drama, how she grows from an aggressively ambitious CEO to a soft wife, princess and then Queen who would risk her life for her husband made me feel so emotional! IU is one of the best actresses ever! She is so beautiful it hurts!

And then there was Byeon Woo-Seok! Our pale, tall, lanky, beautiful vampire-like Prince of the 21st Century!!! His first scene was of course a frigging SHOWER SCENE that made EVERY female watcher freak out!!! 😂😂😂 He had great progress too. From the grudging Prince to the confident yet soft and loving King BWS embodied I-An so well! I loved his scenes especially his beautiful suits! I hope the costume designer of this drama got a good paycheck!!!
Also when he cried, I cried even more 😭😭😭

The Aides: omg the AIDES!!! They were the cuuuuutesttttt couple evvvverrrrr 😭😭😭😭😭 I loved them so much! Their kiss at the end made me cry out of happiness like I have never cried because of a kiss scene before! 😂😂😂 i dont even understand!!! But I was so happy for them! And I loved that he got to open his own little flowershop in the end 🥹🥹🥹

I also loved the other side characters of the palace like the court lady who in the end bought him a bed. I wish we saw what happened to the other assistants who were caring for Huiju when she first moved in. Areum got punished obviously but how about the others? 🤔

Of course I loved that Huiju and I-An both got redemption for their families. Huiju’s brother and sister-in-law were actually VERY funny!!! 😂😂😂 I loved especially the sister-in-law. And even the father turned good in the end. I would say fathers all have a soft spot for their daughters, but sadly that was not the case with the Queen’s father. I liked that the Queen ended up taking I-An’s side and exposed herself, her father and the Prime Minister.

I was very disappointed by the Prime Minister. I didn’t expect him to turn into an obsessive murderer! He literally tried to kill his crush’s husband just bcs he was in love with the same woman … like did he think that she would have married him if I-An had died???? NO!!! What he did hurt not only him but also Huiju…

The plot of the story was well-paced. The beginning was funny and lighthearted. Episode 3 was the funniest. The romance was PERFECT!!! Their kiss scenes and hugs and how it went from fake dating to real risk-my-life kind of love was so much fun to watch!!! The screenwriter and director of this drama knew what they were doing! The politics and intrigues were not too much and everything always got resolved smoothly without any setbacks. The midway break-up barely felt like a break up and when their love really started off for real, it all felt just so genuine and convincing! The chemistry was off the roof!!! ISTG if IU and BWS don’t start dating after this I will be sad 😢😢😢

The Soundtrack was beautiful too! Loved the overall message to never trust politicians and that the perfect men are the soft ones who will cook for you, open a flower shop for you and wait for you patiently until you come back home 🥹🥹🥹 This should be the standard us women should be living for and never shall we settle for less! Just everything about the drama was perfectly done! They landed the plane very well! 12 episodes was definitely enough!

I’m off to watch all the Youtube on this now bye!!! 👋🏻

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Simple fun

I thought the highs in this one weren’t very high, but the lows also weren’t very low. It’s a fun rom-com but pretty thin on the plot and the character development.

The plot is just not quite there and for me, having seen multiple historical dramas and corporate dramas, I expected there to be much more to the power struggle in the palace and in the business world. Instead, it feels like things are resolved quite randomly and the antagonists never do anything that really feel like a threat. I’m ultimately not sure what the FL was trying to get out of the marriage and how it would help her business, and on the royalty side it feels like the villains just mush together a few assassination attempts and call it a day.

I was expecting there to be more scheming and back-and-forth, but the protagonists seem to solve everything without much pushback. They make one move and 5 minutes later the villain is in jail. This is especially notable in the final two episodes; I-an introduces the EXTREME concept of abolishing the monarchy and there’s not only no build-up to it, but it seems like the advisors just go “darn :(“ and the next thing we know we’re cutting to the reveal that the people have voted on it and have agreed to it. I know people are saying that it’s because 12 episodes aren’t enough, but I felt like that wasn’t the issue here. The plot stagnated and I actually do think we had enough time to delve into deeper topics if the writing wanted it. If abolishing the monarchy was the big conflict, we should’ve seen much more to explain why it was necessary and why it was difficult to accomplish.

It all just feels a little too easy and shallow, which is a shame because I feel like there’s so much you could do with a modern day monarchy plot around corruption, historical precedence, class, etc. It’s hinted to at the start with a contrast between our leads, but we never really confront it beyond the court of public opinion.

Character-wise, we start off with a really strong cast of characters but I don’t think the writing allowed any of them to have complete arcs.

The antagonists ultimately feel pretty underutilized — the Queen Dowager’s father goes to prison extremely easily, and the Prime Minister’s arc honestly doesn’t feel thought out considering how big of a turn he made. Did he do it all because of the FL? If he did, it’s much too shallow of a motivation. If there was more to it, it didn’t come across fully. I think our leads were fun and the romance was sweet, but they also both don’t develop very much. Same with the second couple, who are typical ”sidekick” characters, lovable but with no real arc of their own.

The best arc out of all of them is probably the Queen Dowager. She probably turned out to be my favorite character, even if I found her final switch a bit sudden.

Part of that is her acting, which I think was the best out of the entire cast; she especially killed it with intense moments and facial expressions. As for the rest of the cast, I think it was pretty good but they didn’t have much to work with. I know this has been discussed to death on the internet so I don’t want to harp on it, but I did find the ML to be a bit stiff; he was good in emotional moments but not as much in the subtle ones where we needed more micro-expressions. I don’t want to be too harsh but I’m not sure I completely bought into the main romance, or that the ML supposed to be older.

I know this is a lot of criticism but I actually still found the show to be quite fun to watch. The cinematography was really good and it’s clear that this was a high-budget production. The story isn’t quite as epic as I wish it was, but if you go into it with the understanding that it’s a rom-com and you don’t think too hard about it, I think it was enjoyable.

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The romance was there, but...

Broken of Love is not your typical GL, and I think that’s what led to such polarizing opinions about the series as a whole. In my opinion, the story is driven more by Arisa’s personal goals than by her relationship with Lalin. While their relationship is heavily featured, much of the series focuses on Arisa’s desire for revenge, which makes the GL aspect secondary to the main plot. Coincidentally, that’s what I enjoyed most about it.

I’m a strong advocate for GLs expanding their storytelling, and I think Fabel Entertainment did a fantastic job of giving viewers something different from the norm. The series reminded me a lot of what Monomax achieved with Heart Code earlier this year. It was beautifully shot and attempted to tell its story without relying on the conventional styles we repeatedly see in Thai GLs.

Beyond that, I’d also like to applaud the cast’s performances. I think everyone played their roles well, and I hope the newly established pairings get the chance to work together again in future projects. It would be great to see a full GL series led by an older couple. Overall, I’m excited to see what Fable has in store for the future.

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